Girdled trunks adapted for sun bathing



April 14, 1931". G. A. MATTERN 1,800,461

GIRDLED TRUNKS ADAPTED FOR SUN BATHING Filed June 16, 1930 INVENTOR. z fifafizr n- I I l ATTORNEYS.

Patented Apr. 14, 1931 v arr GEORGE A. MATTERN, OF'BERKELELCALIFORNIA.

eianmnnraonxs ADAPTED roe SUN BATI-IING Application filed June 16,-

My invention relates in general to the class of wearing apparel, and in particular to garments which are intended to give to the wearer maximum freedom ofaction and body exposure, consistent with modesty and decency.

Body covering from primitive times, in accordance with temperature conditions and natural environment, has either grown up from or has been reduced to abreeches-cloth '10 or clout, which in modern times among civilized people has assumed for special uses the form of what is known as trunks, and these have continually tended to become simpler and more abbreviated, subject to an equally continuous protest from those who insist upon modesty and decency. Bathing suits, for example, illustrate this tendency, though the protest is somewhat weakened by the fact that, presumptively at least, undue attention 30 is negatived by supposedly protracted immersion. But the present vogue of sun-bathing has rendered the dictates of modesty and decency more imperative, especially since sunbathing requires the maximum exposure of the body and inthis usethe usual correctives afforded by additional members, such as coverings above and skirts below the waist, are subversive of the use intended. The consequence is that modesty and decency are,

in practice thrown to the winds by the sunbather donning trunks alone, of a brevity,

1 pliancy and thickness (knitted goods usual- 1y) clearly objectionable. It is the object of my invention to correct this by providing trimks'which will not thus offend, but at the same time will be particularly adapted for sun-bathing both as to the maximum exposure afforded, and also with respect to an alternative diminution of such exposure whenever required for transient comfort.= With this object in view, my invention comprises essentially a pair of trunks having a breech-covering girdle. This garment, together with its advantageous elaborations, will behereinafter fully described, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which I have illustrated the garment in its preferred form, it being underto stood that changes may be made without de- 1930, Serial no, 461,290,

parting from the, spirit of the i'nvention as defined'bythe claims hereuntoappended. 1

In the drawlngs:-- i v I 1 1g. 1 is a front elevation of my girdled trunks, showing it 111 conditlon for normal wear in the suns rays. I

Fig. 2 1s a section on the llne 2-2 of Fig.

"1, showing the double thickness of the gar.-

mentdue to the trunks and the embracing girdle. v y

Fig. 3 is a front elevation of thegarment showing the girdle raised. from its normal breech-covering position to a position adapting it to cover a portion of the wearers body above the waist, when for temporary comfort he finds it expedient-1 i The complete garment comprises a pair of trunks 1 and a breech-covering girdle 2, united only at the waist line, wherea gathering tape 3 in a hem 4 serves to support the garment. Thestrunks and girdle maybe an integral unit or separate joined pieces. In its preferred. form they are, as here shown, a single piece. "Due to the waist-zonebetween the bulging body region above and the hips below, it will be seen that the girdle 2 conforms to and covers only the bulging breechzone of the trunks 1, when down in normal position, as in Fig. 1, and when raised,-as in the hour-glass form of Fig. 3, it conformsto the bulge of the body region above the waist. Thus the girdle which in its literal definition is a close fitting and clinging member orband having the width ofand envelopingonly the breech of the trunks, is also and thereby adapted'to fit and clingwithoutextraneous support, to the wearers body above thewaist, a result fully insured by the nature of the material, of which in practise the garment is made, namely knitted goods, preferablyknit in a direction providing fora circumferential phase of, elasticity" conducive to supporting fitness. The intention in the use of thegarment, is to normally wear it as in Fig. 1, with the girdle enveloping closely and clinging to the breech region of the trunks. The double thickness due to trunks and the superimposed girdle gives to the garment, either wholly or substantially, a proper appearance responsive to the requirements of of substantially the width and normally embracing the breech region of the trunks, said modesty and decency. If, due to any temporary change in temperature, the wearer desires less exposure, he may turn away from the observation of others for a brief period and then flex the girdle upwardly, with the waist line as an axis, as in Fig. 3, until it fits and clings to his body above said line, in which alternative position it needs no furthersupportfor its incidental and brief use.

It should now be noted that this girdle member or band, as in Fig. l, is not to be confounded in any sense with the skirt of a bathing suit, which term implies a. rather free, flowing member of greater length than the parts it covers, nor, as in Fig. 3, is it to be compared to the body member of such suit. In its normal use it is a true girdle in the nature of a. belt or bandclose-ly fitting and clinging to the trunks and necessarily of a width suflicient only to cover the breech portion of the trunks, while in its raised or al ternative use it is self sustaining and covers only such limited portion of the body as its width permits. The term girdle, as used herein, must, therefore, be taken in this sense, and the garment as a whole be regarded as a new and useful article of manufacture.

1. The herein described garment comprising a pair of trunks provided with a girdle girdle being adapted, by flexing in the waist line, to be turned from its normal position to an alternative position embracing the Wearers body above the waist line.

2. The herein described garment comprising a pair of trunks and a girdle joining the trunks in the waist line and otherwise free thereof, adapting it to be turned alternatively to and from embrasure of the trunks and of the wearers body above the waist line, said girdle being of a- Width substantially equal to and fashioned to fit the breech region 01 the trunks.

3. The herein described garment comprising a single piece of goods fashioned to form a pair of trunks and agirdle, the two members merging in the waist line about which L the girdle is adapted tobe turned alternately to and from embrasure of the trunks and of the wearers body above the waist line, said girdle being of a width substantially equal to and closely fitting the breech region of the trunks.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this speclficatlon.

GEORGE A. MATTERN. 

